A New Challenge -- size not weight

[Kelliee]

Okay...after being a slow Phen loser and not really capable of achieving some of the weight challenges that are posted (and I wish I could....) I have decided that I am going to challenge myself and anyone else who wants to join me to do things a little differently and make a challenge that makes us think "outside the box".

I have been a bit frustrated with the fact that the scale has stayed the same now for almost a week. Exercising and eating and doing all the things I have done all along that made me lose is now doing nothing.

I have posted and encouraged people all last week who said they were stuck and now I find myself spinning the wheels in the mud just like those I tried to encourage last week.

My idea came yesterday when I tried on some old pants just to see how they looked. I was most surprised to be able to comfortably put on some of my size 10's that 2-3 years ago I would never have been able to pull up past my thighs at this weight of 153! One pair was so comfortable, I wore them the rest of the day. So it got me thinking...

For those of us that are trying to measure our successes by the scale, lets try a challenge that perhaps might open our minds to setting our goals as sizes rather than pounds. The pants I wore yesterday I had not worn since I was 146 pounds, but 7 pounds heavier today they acutally fit better than they did then. The only thing I can think of that has done this is the exercising I have done. It's made me smaller without making me lighter.

So what I am doing is taking this in a whole different direction. Instead of wanting to be 143 pounds by April 10th...I want to be a different size. Forget the scales (for now...at least). I am going to pull out the next pair of pants I want to wear. The ones that are to tight to zipper and can't bend over in. I'm putting them on and taking a picture with my camera. Then on April 11th, I am going to try them on and measure the difference and take another picture. Hopefully, whether the scale shows 3 pounds, 5 pounds or nothing...those pants will fit better! I will post my pictures on April 11th and hopefully I am more than happy to.

Anyone up for the challenge? Perhaps it will convince me once and for all to stop my obsession with the scale and measure by the comfort and size of my clothes.... Wish me luck. I need something to get me pumping at the gym with a smile instead of a grimace on my face.

[Kierstenace]

Well I'll be darn!!!! I was just thinking the same thing. I am so outdone that you posted this. You will not believe that just this morning I put on a pair of jeans that i know I haven't worn in 6 to 8 years andf I got those ******s on without any problem zipped and all!!! I started to wear them to work but my husband said they were floods....lol! Heck I didn't care it was my VICTORY! So I get to work and get on the scale and I'm the same weight I was a week ago!!!!!! I couldn't believe it!!! Honestly, I have been working out more now than I did when I lost the 14lbs in the first 10 days. When I went to the doc after the first 10 days, he told me I wasn't eating enough (never thought I'd hear those words in reference to me -hehehehe) so I've added more protein and water to my days. ]

I am more than willing to join you on this challenge because frankly, THE SCALES PISS ME OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!

[herrweightloss]

Kelliee,

I completely agree. I have a pair of size 8 pants that are extremely snug/can't wear and look normal. I lost a lot of weight on my first week, but this is the second week and it is not as dramatic. On April 10 I will throw on these jeans and see how they are looking with you!

165: SW
157: Week 1 on Phen
135: Goal Weight

[Kelliee]

Glad to have you ladies on board! I'm going to just keep going the way I have and hopefully...along you fine partners....we will be wearing those pants with big smiles on our faces!!

[MsPie84]

Count me in too cause seem like my weight loss has slowed down alot and the scale is just frustrating me. I'm thinking water has alot to do with it.

[*sparkle*weight]

Hi Kelliee!
What a great challenge. I'm IN.
I only weigh at the Drs office so I really never know if I'm losing or not. I rely on my clothes and if I "feel skinny" . I think I'm at some kind of plateau so this is perfect for me.
I will shoot for my Gap 10s that are still uncomfortable to wear....
Also, it looks as if we were about the same starting weight and have the same goal weight...Do you feel like you have to ALWAYS change things up to trick your body into letting go of the lbs.? It's like a full time job!!
Good luck to us all....

[Kelliee]

Hi Sparkle:

Your right...we are on the same path with our weight loss and goals! Yes...I do feel like I need to change things up a bit to get everything to progress...it's frustrating at times and sometimes deflating when we use the scale too much.

I'm only taking in about 1200 calories a day...I could change the food to more proteins, less carbs, but to be quite honest...I don't know what formula would be best (for me).

I work out 5 days a week and I thought if I could do harder interval training, maybe a few days even do it longer, then go to machines I have not tried at the gym, I might be able to make a difference that way, even if the scale is unwilling to follow.

I tried on my capri pants this morning and yikes...I'm wondering if I bit off more than I can chew in 30 days...lol...but you know what...NO matter what, those pants might not look the best on me but they will look a lot better than they did this morning.

Well off the gym...I"m excited to hear how everyone is doing as we do this. I am not going to try those pants on again for 2 weeks just to see how they feel and keep going. It's better than the news I get from the scale every morning...Today it teased me....showed me 152.8 and then settled at 153...Oh well...Not gonna let it get me down...I am on a mission!

Glad to have your on board!

[HopefulHeather]

I admit, I've never done a challenge before, and I've been here over a year. I am so in on this one.

I am not going to take a before picture, because it is just that bad. The pants I want to wear for this challenge I can get up over my butt, but I can't even begin to zip them up.

Now for the funny part, I confess, they aren't my pants. My friend left them here, to throw out. I kept them to see if I could fit into them.

I might be muffin-topping pretty bad come 1 month, but I want to zip those things up.


Then... maybe I'll get on the scale.

[inspired28]

You ladies can count me in too! I too am stalling on the weightloss. My problem is that both my knees are bad and I have had surgery on both of them within the last two years. I am eating sensibly and working out as well. When my knees hurt, I have to take at least a 3 to 4 day break from exercising. When its really bad just the mere day to day standing wreaks havoc on my knees.

My motto is slow and steady!! Even though I want it to come off faster, I will take the slower progress as long as the weight scale isn't going back up.


Beauty is Pain!!

[kiss90]

This is only my second reply--I hope it works. Count me in ladies, I'm with you totally. I like the idea of checking myself via clothing instead of a number--not that I don't appreciate the number!

I'm finishing my fourth week of Phen and have my TOM but I'm still rocking.

Start weight 2/15: 217
Today's weight: 203
Goal weight: 150

[Kelliee]

Hey ladies!

I am so glad to see that there are more people that feel this way and its just not me....

I stopped by a health food store today to pick up some of the vitamins I take. I was kinda complaining to the weight trainer there and told him my story about how I have been exercising since January and my weight loss is slower than cold molasses and for the past week or so...nothing. I told him about the pants fitting even though I was heavier than when I wore them before and he told me that working out is burning the fat and building the muscle and to use that as a measure of getting healthy and fit.

He explained it like this...When your over weight and have not exercised consistently your muscles develop fat in them. They look like ribeye steaks with marbled fat all through them...When you work out, you burn the fat out of the muscle as well as other places on your body but as the muscle gets healthier and heavier the marbled fat is metabolized first and so sometimes that is why when you first start out and your exercising, you don't see much of anything and sometimes weight gain as the muscle becomes healthier, heavier and able to burn more calories as a result. He said we need to think about exercising as turning our "rib eye" muscles into filet mignons...When you get the filet mignon muscles...and it might take a while...you will burn more calories at rest as well as begin to really see the inches come off the other parts we are working on.

It was encouraging and he even said, slower weight loss means your not losing muscle... so lets do this. Muffin tops and rib-eyes here we come!

[kiss90]

I'm down w/ribeye!

[sosassafrass]

You ladies can count me in too! I too am stalling on the weightloss. My problem is that both my knees are bad and I have had surgery on both of them within the last two years. I am eating sensibly and working out as well. When my knees hurt, I have to take at least a 3 to 4 day break from exercising. When its really bad just the mere day to day standing wreaks havoc on my knees.

My motto is slow and steady!! Even though I want it to come off faster, I will take the slower progress as long as the weight scale isn't going back up.


Beauty is Pain!!

I understand your pain....I have surgical pins in my right knee from a car accident a few years ago, so there are some difficulties that I face with exercising. If you are able to, have access to a swimming pool and aren't afraid to...get in the water. Walking in the water has helped me immensely...I have gained back significant range of motion, plus with the extra weight...its murder on the knees and the water alleviates that.

I took a regular water aerobics class (3 feet of water) and a deep water aerobics class (we were in 7 ft. of water wearing flotation belts and we'd do the exercises). I'm to the point where I can walk on the treadmill for 40 minutes at a slow clip (3.4-3.6 mph) and be alright the next day. Getting in the water also helps with edema which I ran into problems with swelling in my knee and the last thing I wanted anyone to have to do was dig in my knee.

[toyamcgee]

Count me in. Since I've only lost 8lbs for the 25lb Easter Challenge, I would like to be able to wear a size 12 dress to church Easter Sunday.

Toya

[Vanett]

Totally count me in!!! When I saw this post I became super excited. I don't own a scale because I know that I will obsess over it but what I do is test my clothes because sometimes losing inches is better. Unfortunately, I don't have any small clothes to test besides a blouse I bought a day before I started the phen. It doesn't button and the sleeves were tight in the beginning but now it's starting to loosen up. I still cant fasten it just yet but I know I will soon. I was also watching Tyra the other day and they were talking about the wearing your boyfriend jeans is a good baggy look that's in now so I jumped up and tried his jeans on and I couldnt even get those ******s up past my thighs. I will be testing this out from now on. Good luck ladies and lets lose those inches :-)

[sosassafrass]

Okay...after being a slow Phen loser and not really capable of achieving some of the weight challenges that are posted (and I wish I could....) I have decided that I am going to challenge myself and anyone else who wants to join me to do things a little differently and make a challenge that makes us think "outside the box".

I have been a bit frustrated with the fact that the scale has stayed the same now for almost a week. Exercising and eating and doing all the things I have done all along that made me lose is now doing nothing.

I have posted and encouraged people all last week who said they were stuck and now I find myself spinning the wheels in the mud just like those I tried to encourage last week.

My idea came yesterday when I tried on some old pants just to see how they looked. I was most surprised to be able to comfortably put on some of my size 10's that 2-3 years ago I would never have been able to pull up past my thighs at this weight of 153! One pair was so comfortable, I wore them the rest of the day. So it got me thinking...

For those of us that are trying to measure our successes by the scale, lets try a challenge that perhaps might open our minds to setting our goals as sizes rather than pounds. The pants I wore yesterday I had not worn since I was 146 pounds, but 7 pounds heavier today they acutally fit better than they did then. The only thing I can think of that has done this is the exercising I have done. It's made me smaller without making me lighter.

So what I am doing is taking this in a whole different direction. Instead of wanting to be 143 pounds by April 10th...I want to be a different size. Forget the scales (for now...at least). I am going to pull out the next pair of pants I want to wear. The ones that are to tight to zipper and can't bend over in. I'm putting them on and taking a picture with my camera. Then on April 11th, I am going to try them on and measure the difference and take another picture. Hopefully, whether the scale shows 3 pounds, 5 pounds or nothing...those pants will fit better! I will post my pictures on April 11th and hopefully I am more than happy to.

Anyone up for the challenge? Perhaps it will convince me once and for all to stop my obsession with the scale and measure by the comfort and size of my clothes.... Wish me luck. I need something to get me pumping at the gym with a smile instead of a grimace on my face.

I'm pretty much leaving the losing pounds challenges alone, however this one...I'll give it a whirl and see what happens. I have a pair of jeans (i got them for $2, i couldn't resist) that are a size 14P and I haven't tried them on because I know I probably can't get them past my thighs. I'll try them on tonight...and then hopefully revisit them in a month (April 12) and it will be a little better.

[HopefulHeather]

Hey ladies!

I am so glad to see that there are more people that feel this way and its just not me....

I stopped by a health food store today to pick up some of the vitamins I take. I was kinda complaining to the weight trainer there and told him my story about how I have been exercising since January and my weight loss is slower than cold molasses and for the past week or so...nothing. I told him about the pants fitting even though I was heavier than when I wore them before and he told me that working out is burning the fat and building the muscle and to use that as a measure of getting healthy and fit.

He explained it like this...When your over weight and have not exercised consistently your muscles develop fat in them. They look like ribeye steaks with marbled fat all through them...When you work out, you burn the fat out of the muscle as well as other places on your body but as the muscle gets healthier and heavier the marbled fat is metabolized first and so sometimes that is why when you first start out and your exercising, you don't see much of anything and sometimes weight gain as the muscle becomes healthier, heavier and able to burn more calories as a result. He said we need to think about exercising as turning our "rib eye" muscles into filet mignons...When you get the filet mignon muscles...and it might take a while...you will burn more calories at rest as well as begin to really see the inches come off the other parts we are working on.

It was encouraging and he even said, slower weight loss means your not losing muscle... so lets do this. Muffin tops and rib-eyes here we come!

I know this is true, but it is still discouraging to see the scale sit there like a lump. That is why I wont get on one. I know I'm eating all the right things, but I've been working out lately more than I ever have, so I know that scale is going nowhere. I went through this before and got discouraged after a while and quit.

Anyway I hope this is the effect that I'm achieving. I kind of wish there was some way to peek on my fillets and see how ribeye they are. lol

Oh well can't quit now, I gotta fit into those darn pants.

[Kelliee]

hi Hopeful Heather..

I didn't mentions this because I did not want people to swap one obsession for another but the way to check to see if the ribeyes are becoming filets is to measure your body fat.

I went on line and bought and electrical body fat caliber (a bit expensive something like $65) the kind that they use at the gym...It looks like a steering wheel to a video game. You put your hands on it and within 7 seconds, it gives you a reading of body fat % and tells you ratio of body fat to muscle. I have not had this done yet as I am too scared but I decided I wanted to buy one and measure.

I know there are some scales out there that do the same thing but I don't trust them as much as I do this particular device that is much more accurate. My hope is this....when the scale is not moving....the body fat analysis will be....perhaps that will be what I need. But until it arrives, my tiny (too tight) capris will have to do the trick!

[*sparkle*weight]

UGHHHHHH!!! I made the mistake of trying on THE JEANS again. I may have overestimated my size loss potential. We'll see....at least they will fit better than they do now (and I use the term fit very loosley).
I DID work out last night. I did the wii just dance and wii fit for about an hour total.
I just get so discouraged...If I hear "ohhhh...you can really tell you've lost in your face" I think I'll scream. A skinny face WAS NOT my goal, thank you.
Just venting...having a yuck day today.
Maybe drinking another glass of water will help (yeah...right)

[Kelliee]

Don't worry....like you said, as long as they fit a bit better than they did today....its a success...

At least people are telling you they can see you've lost weight. I have lost 17 pounds and not one person has said a thing to me. Not sure if they haven't because they really cannot tell or that they just don't realize how motivating it would be if someone noticed...Oh well....

Yes...drink that water...I'll join you in a glass.

[Tracey73]

I want to be a comfy Jr size 9. I have a pair of Levi's that I use as motivation.
I can get them on and get them buttoned but it's not a pretty sight, lol. I have a terrible muffin top in them and they look glued on.
I am probably 10-15 pounds away from them fitting how they are suppose to.


BTW--great thread!

[sosassafrass]

grrr... I tried on the size 14 jeans that I wanted to use for the month and I unbuttoned them to slip them on and the denim button came off. I wonder if the dry cleaners can repair/replace the backing to the button because they were the jeans I wanted to use. Well...I can't complain too much. I spent $2 on them. I have a couple pairs of 14 jeans in a drawer somewhere that I can use.

Either way...I got them up and I would have had enough room to button them...but yeah, I have overhang and muffin top and it would be great to see these jeans fit better on 4/13.

ETA: I found a pair of jeans...a pair of old JCrew jeans in a 14 (I bought them almost 10 years ago) and the good thing about these jeans...they don't stretch. 100% cotton baby . I got them on and up...now the next step is to get them buttoned comfortably. Hopefully, I can do that in a month...if not, I'll be that much closer.

[Kelliee]

Isn't it funny how if you're wearing pants that fit...you have one muffin top that maybe hangs out a little (if any) and then you try on those pants that are just tight enough and all of a sudden the muffin top's cousins show up and you have a few more to contend with? I cannot wait for the day that I put on the size I want and have no muffin top..natta....nothing...My tight capris are not a pretty sight right now and may not be 30 days from now. I may have to down size my goal to diminishing 2 of the 3 muffin tops that show up when I put them on! (lol). Either way...we'll all get there one way or another....and we will accomplish what we set out to do...

[Mrsace13]

They say your jeans don't lie!!

I am so tired of the scale, my 25 pounds for Easter Challenge I joined is not going to well for me.

It seems to take me about 25 pounds to drop a pants size. I am 204 now and in a size 16, when I was losing with WW in 2006 I was 193 and still could not get into my size 14's I bought.

I'm in though since I am not looking for a weight, I am 42 years old and I will be happy in a size 8 or maybe even 10. I don't know what weight that is for me.

How much weight do you find you have to lose to drop a size? I am sure we are all different since my weight is all in my bottom half, large booty and thunder thighs is my issue, well my main issue.

[waiting2xhale]

I have two pair of pants I would like to fit in. I've exercised at least the last two weeks for 30 to 45 minutes. I need to get motivated with the food though.

[toyamcgee]

Teresa, I find that I have to lose a lot to drop a size also. I was reading somewhere and it said that you should drop a size for every 10 lbs you lose. THAT'S A LIE!!!!! (at least in my case, it is). I started at 217 wearing a size 16. Once I hit 194, I now wear a size 14; however, it depends on the cut of the pants. Some 14's reveal that muffin top you ladies were talking about. So you're not alone in that fact.

Happy Losing,

Toya

[lrobin09]

Count me in! I certainly need something to inspire me to reach my goals! And I have the perfect pair of jeans in mind for this challenge!!!!

[mommaX2boys]

Count me in to! I sooo wanna fit in my 14's again.. but first let me be in my 16's comfortably!

[Vanett]

I WILL get into my boyfriends jeans! LOL, I heard on Tyra that the 'boyfriend' jean was in because it gives you that baggy look and Howard Stern's wife was encouraging the ladies to slip on your boyfriends jean. Man, I tried mine on and it felt like I was strangling my thighs so after that, I was determined to use this as my tester! Also, the blouse I bought one week before phen I could not even get past my boobs, I can now fasten. The button is still screaming for dear life and threatens to pop but getting it that far shows me that those inches are are falling off. Woo Hoo!!!

[Marcih]

HECK YES!!!! My scale is a dirty rotten liar because I used to have to buy XL shirts and i bought some L and some M and can button a blouse that looked rediculous over a month ago. The pants definitely feel looser, but nowhere near a smaller size but I am on my way. I did take my measurements about a week ago and wish I would have taken them earlier. I can't wait for my gut to go away and to get to a size 12. My goal by summer is to be in a 10 or even an 8 but at 5'9" and a large frame i don't think much smaller than an 8 will look healthy, besides i like my curves just not my lumps.

[Kelliee]

So happy to see more people joining...I really think this is the way to look at our weight loss girls...

Teresa -- I was a size 16 and 170 pounds beginning of January. (I'm 5'1") I did measure but you know what...I never could remember when I measured my waist if it was at the belly button, an inch below and it was different everytime I measured, so I threw that out the window.

I am now a size 12, comfortably, and weigh 150...so that would go with the 10 pounds and drop a size, but I have been working out 5 days a week, 60 minutes along with weight training so that might explain why it works for me...

I'm a slow loser and so fed up with waiting for that darn scale to move...I swear it hates me... So thats where i thought, pick out a pair of pants and just work for that...not a number on the scale. Glad to see everyone on board... this will be much more rewarding than a number ...trust me... a favorite pair of pants to show that our suffering is actually paying off!

[quiltymom]

Hi-

I am a newbie to this! I just started on Friday and I haven't really noticed the scale moving down yet. Not discouraged though - I know all good things take time! I like the idea of judging how your clothes fit instead of the number on the scale. The scale can drive me nuts.

Right now I wear a size 16/18 jean. I would love to fit comrfortably into my 16's without feeling strangled. I would love to work my way down into a 10 - I would be happy there.

Are you checking once a week or on a monthly basis? I have started walking on my treadmill slowly and will start building up. I feel fine but am noticing that even though I take it at 6:30 AM, I have been waking up alot at night. Will this go away in a week or so? any hints?<a

[Kelliee]

Hi guiltymom --

I weigh myself daily (which is bad I know) but I do it to motivate me to drink lots of water or watch my carbs depending on what I see....

As far as this particular challenge, I plan on trying my pants that are tight on in about 2 weeks. Hopefully I will not be pre-TOM cause that could change everything but I will watch for that.

When I first started taking Phen, I didn't sleep well the first 4-5 days (?)...then I seemed to be fine. I am actually very tired by 8-9 pm everynight but I think it has to do with the exercise I am doing....not sure.

Last night, I had a night where I just didn't fall asleep until 2 a.m. It was strange but it happens every now and again. I have read that most of the people here have insomnia at the beginning but usually it goes away within a week...some people longer.

Good luck on your weight loss...I love Phen. It has really helped keep my appetite and cravings in control. I can only be on it till the end of April so I am bummed but enjoying the benefits right now...

[*sparkle*weight]

Hi Everyone!
It's great to see so many joining this challenge!
Well..I made it through the weekend without totally blowing it. Weekends are sooo hard for me.
I ordered a pair of jeans from Abercrombie....sz 10.(I promise not to melt down when I discover I can't get them over my knees)
Pretty sure I'm going to have to use these for our next size challenge

[Kelliee]

You never know Sparkle...the power of suggestion can be pretty amazing....happy losing this week (inches, pounds, insanity....) whatever it might be!